LIGHT WITHIN

Today we celebrate the Festival of Lights where the lights signify victory of good over the evil. Diwali or Deepavali has many legends associated with it. In North India, it is associated with Ramayana where people of Ayodhya welcomed Rama (after a 14-year exile) by lighting rows (avali) of lamps (deepa). In Goa, it is commemorates the defeat of Narakasura at the hands of Krishna & Satyabhama.

Founder of Jainism, Mahaveer is said to have attained Nirvana on this very day. Additionally as the day, chief disciple of Mahaveer, Gautam Swami attained complete knowledge, makes Diwali an important Jain festival. Sikhs celebrate Diwali as the day of the release from prison of their sixth Guru, Hargobind along with 52 other princes with him, from detention in the Gwalior Fort in 1619.

For the Hindus, the festival marks the triumph of good over evil and the homecoming of goodwill and faith. For the Jains it is a celebration of complete knowledge. For the Sikhs, it is a struggle for freedom. And it is a confluence of all these reasons that will add meaning and purpose to our lives.

To banish the darkness, it is not enough to light lamps. The battle for freedom from darkness needs the lighting of the lamp within. We have to connect with values of equality, justice and peace for all. We need to connect to knowledge and a better understanding with what’s happening around us.

To banish the darkness shade
Light the lamp within instead!

 

~ Pravin K Sabnis

 

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Super Moon

The full moon today marks the first supermoon of 2025, as well as the first of three supermoons in the next three months. This full moon will be the closest of the year, making it a special supermoon: large, bright and golden. 

A supermoon occurs when the moon is full and its orbit is closest to Earth. Because of this proximity, the full moon looks brighter and larger than a regular full moon, which is why it's called a supermoon

 

Perigee-syzygy is a term that observers of astronomy use when a full moon coincides with a close advance by the Moon towards the Earth. Perigee is the point at which the Moon is closest in its orbit to the Earth, and syzygy is a full moon. 

 

Modern superstition is full of doomsday predictions due to the ‘supermoon’ – a term coined by an astrologer, Richard Nolle in 1979. It is pertinent to note that earlier ‘supermoons’ was distorted by doomsayers to buttress their business of fear.

 

However inquisitive minds strive to know whatever possible impact due to perigee-syzygy. Obviously, the biggest impact of this event is that people have a choice to be better at analytical observation and critical thinking. All it requires is a thirst for facts and a fascination to unravel the unknown.

 

Look up to see the super moon and sift fact from fiction

View perigee-syzygy as a time for rationale validation!

 

~ Pravin K Sabnis

 

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Pass the Torch

 The term ‘pass the torch’ has its roots in ancient Greek traditions, where torch relay races were an important part of religious ceremonies and Olympic Games. The act of passing a lit torch represented the transfer of knowledge, civilization, and responsibility. 

 Passing the torch is a symbolic expression that means transferring responsibility, authority, or leadership from one person to another. It signifies handing over a job, duty, or responsibility to a successor, often in a leadership or professional context. 

 

The idiom is commonly used in succession planning, mentorship, and knowledge transfer. The phrase can be used in various settings, such as business, sports, or politics, to describe the transfer of leadership or responsibility.

 

The true value of leadership is in handing over the reins, the smooth transfer of control and responsibility. Passing on the mantle requires us to give up authority and gracefully handing over the role to the next in line to now hold the light. 

 

Pass the torch, yield your role’s might

Let the successor now carry the light! 

 

~ Pravin K Sabnis

 

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Right Focus

A story by Idries Shah tells us about Mulla Nasrudin was searching for something under a streetlamp. A passer-by asked, ‘What are you doing?’ Nasrudin replied, “I've lost my keys.’ The passer-by joined the search.

 After a while, he asked, ‘Where exactly did you lose them?’ Nasrudin said, ‘ in my house.’ The other person was puzzled and asked, ‘Then why are we searching for them here?’ Nasrudin replied, ‘Because the light is better here.’

 

This story teaches us about the importance of focusing on the right place or approach when searching for solutions. Often, we might be looking for answers in the wrong places or using the wrong methods. We need to think clearly and approach problems with a logical and focused mindset. 

 

Search in right place with clear prong

Right focus will bring solutions along! 

 

~ Pravin K Sabnis

 

 

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Engineer's Brain

Engineer Pedro had a problem with his washing machine with water leaking on the floor. His assessment was that the swirl tub had cracked and he would have to buy a new machine.. Anyway he called the service centre.

The mechanic seemed tired with his job. In an irritated voice, he asked: ‘Was the machine always placed such in this area?’ Pedro was surprised by the silly question but he thought over it and replied that he had changed the orientation but not the location of the machine.

 

The mechanic immediately identified the problem. The floor tiles had a slight slope that made a few drops of water slip outside the rim if the tub. Over a period of time, water accumulated on the floor would slip out. Pedro asked, ‘Don’t you want to check the tub for any cracks?’

 

The mechanic said that the tub was of tough seamless material and could not crack. Once the machine was shifted to its original orientation, the problem was solved. Grateful that he did not have to buy a new machine, Pedro thanked him and said, ‘I am an engineer but you have an engineer’s brain.’

 

The engineering brain is a blend of logic, creative open mindedness and problem-solving skills. Engineers have a distinct cognitive profile that enables them to design, build and innovate complex systems, structures and technologies. However it is important to ensure that every detail is considered and accounted for.

The Engineer’s brain solves the problem and creates solution
With attention to detail, logic and open minded innovation!

 

~ Pravin K Sabnis

 

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Thousand Times

The storylines of martial arts films are similar. The protagonist is a simple, nice guy. And the antagonist is an expert in martial arts. In the fight between the good and the bad, the bad one wins as he is stronger and skilled. The hero goes to a master to learn self-defence and attack.

He is exasperated when the master teaches him only a single move and insists that he practise it again and again. The hero pleads with his master, ‘Please teach me more moves’. The wise master replies, ‘it is not the thousand moves that you know that will help you… it is the one move you have practised a thousand times!’

Singers and musicians involve in dedicated riyaz! Batsmen practise the same stroke that they want to become better at. Bowlers strive to bowl the yorker again and again, in the nets. Novice artists keep drawing the same strokes till they become proficient. Actors keep repeating lines till they are flawless.

While it is good to know many moves, the ones that matter will be ones you have done many times! Interestingly, in every sphere, the fundamental moves are few and the rest are variations. So it makes sense to work a thousand times on the fundamentals.

Never mind thousand moves that you may know
Those done a thousand times are ones to show!

 

~ Pravin K Sabnis

 

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Eat!

‘Do not force feed, let the person freely eat’ - is an important lesson in the area of teaching. 

Traditional techniques choose the revealing theory followed by justifications to underline the importance and relevance of the revealed information. However the most effective method that meshes better with how the brain works and assimilates information, is to introduce it through the EAT theory.

The acronym EAT refers to Experience, Awareness and Theory. The approach starts with the learner going through an actual experience or sharing learnings from an earlier experience.

The second step includes debriefing and discussion to bring about an Awareness of what they experienced. Lastly to tie up loose ends, the trainer ensures the Theory is confirmed.

The reverse process focuses only on explaining the theory. Information is passed on but the probability of real transfer of knowledge is at a huge disadvantage.

Experiential learning draws its vision from the maxim that ‘lessons are not meant to be taught… they are meant to be learnt.’ It is about helping learners to embark on a dynamic journey of observation, thinking and interaction. We facilitate learning when we allow learners to EAT with an open mind!

Why fetter learners’ feet

Let them freely EAT!

~ Pravin K Sabnis

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